A teenager who spent the afternoon drinking with his boss and co-workers and who was later refused a lift home by his employer, was knocked down as he was walking home and died six days later, an inquest has heard.
Shane Joyce (17) of Mountmellick, Co Laois, was walking on the main Portlaoise road out of Abbeyleix when he was struck by a truck and then a car on November 11th, 2005. He died from his injuries six days later.
The inquest heard that Mr Joyce was working for Damien Crossan, a bricklayer, as a builder's labourer. He commenced work at about 8.05am, but when it began raining Mr Crossan took his employees to a local pub. They arrived before 11.45am and later in the day a fight broke out between Mr Joyce and another employee.
When Mr Crossan was leaving at 4pm he decided not to give Mr Joyce a lift home because Mr Joyce had started the fight, he said. He had driven Mr Joyce to work that day.
Mr Joyce had about two bottles and four or five pints of beer to drink that afternoon.